Eternal ideas in an eternal city.
Discover carefully curated public lectures, author talks, debates and intellectual events in Rome, Italy — selected by The Mindful City editorial team.
Last updated: September 20, 2026
Margaret Atwood · Villa Medici (French Academy in Rome) · September 21, 2026
Margaret Atwood examines the intersection of speculative fiction and climate politics, arguing for the narrative tools needed to confront ecological crises. The session combines a …
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 21, 2026
A public lecture exploring how new archaeological methods are reshaping collective memory of Rome from antiquity to the present. Mary Beard will discuss recent finds and their impl…
Yuval Noah Harari · American Academy in Rome · September 21, 2026
Historian Yuval Noah Harari presents a public lecture expanding on themes of technology, governance, and collective futures. The presentation is followed by audience questions and …
Zadie Smith · MAXXI Museum · September 22, 2026
Novelist Zadie Smith discusses how urban environments shape narrative voice and contemporary fiction. The event includes a reading and a moderated conversation on migration, memory…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
Classicist Mary Beard explores new archaeological findings and how they reshape our view of daily life in ancient Rome. She will argue for the continuing relevance of classical sch…
Timothy Snyder · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
Timothy Snyder examines the relationship between historical memory and the resurgence of authoritarianism in Europe. A Q&A will follow addressing the historian’s recent research on…
Margaret Atwood · MAXXI Museum · September 22, 2026
Margaret Atwood reads from recent work and discusses the role of speculative fiction in shaping public conversations about climate and technology. She will join a moderated convers…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
Classicist Mary Beard examines how ancient Roman texts continue to be read and reimagined in contemporary Rome. The talk will connect archaeology, literary reception, and public me…
Salvatore Settis · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
Leading archaeologist Salvatore Settis surveys new excavations along Rome's ancient Tiber shore and their impact on our understanding of urban antiquity. Attendees will be invited …
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
A public lecture exploring the reception of Roman monuments in contemporary urban life and how public memory is shaped by archaeology and rhetoric. Mary Beard will draw on recent p…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
Classicist Mary Beard explores the continuing relevance of ancient Rome in contemporary cultural and political life, drawing on archaeology and literary sources. The talk will cons…
Yuval Noah Harari · MAXXI Museum · September 22, 2026
Yuval Noah Harari discusses the latest technological shifts shaping human societies and the ethical dilemmas they pose for democracy and conflict. The talk links historical pattern…
Hans Ulrich Obrist · MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo · September 22, 2026
Hans Ulrich Obrist surveys contemporary curatorial practice and its intersections with urban life and digital culture. The conversation will highlight experimental exhibition forma…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
Classicist Mary Beard examines how modern Rome is continuously reframed by historical narratives and popular culture. She will highlight recent archaeological discoveries and their…
Carlo Rovelli · Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza' · September 22, 2026
A public lecture unpacking modern approaches to time in physics and their philosophical implications for understanding reality. Rovelli explains complex scientific ideas in accessi…
Margaret MacMillan · British School at Rome · September 22, 2026
Historian Margaret MacMillan examines pivotal diplomatic moments and the lessons they hold for contemporary international relations. Her lecture will trace how historical memory sh…
Paul Krugman · Università La Sapienza · September 22, 2026
Paul Krugman examines the drivers of rising global inequality and the macroeconomic policies that can address it. He argues for pragmatic policy tools to rebalance growth and stren…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 23, 2026
A public lecture by classicist Mary Beard exploring how ancient Rome shaped ideas of urban life and civic identity. The talk will be followed by a Q&A with the audience and an info…
Hans Ulrich Obrist · MAXXI Museum · September 23, 2026
Curator Hans Ulrich Obrist discusses evolving curatorial strategies in the 21st century and their relationship to global exhibition cultures. The session includes a moderated Q&A a…
Colm Tóibín · Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica · September 24, 2026
Colm Tóibín reads excerpts from his recent work and discusses the representation of cities, movement, and identity in contemporary fiction. The reading will be followed by an audie…